Car-coupling-locking mechanism.



w. 1. REGAN. GAR COUPLING LOCKING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. I2. I916.

Patented Apr. 17,1917.

, l lllll l I V assumed by the latch E sATs WILLIAM J'. REGAN, OFPITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE McCON WAY & TORLEY COMPANY, OFPITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENN SYLVANIA.

Application filed December 12, 1916. Serial No. 136,494.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM J. REGAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Coupling-Locking Mechanism; and I do hereby declare'the following to bea full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same.

My invention relates to improvements in car couplers, and is especiallydirected to the provision of means for preventing an unlocking movementof the coupler lock and the release of the knuckle when the couplerassumes an abnormal position as occurs when the car is bodily tilted orturned over to discharge its contents.

Generally stated, my invention embraces the combination with a couplerhead, a knuckle, and a lock therefor which projects through thecoupler-head, of a latch member pivotally mounted on the lock andnormally maintaining a relation at right angles thereto, whereby whenthe coupler head is in an abnormal position tending to cause anunlocking movement of said lock said latch may engage the outer face ofthe coupler head and prevent the unlocking movement of the coupler look.

In the drawings chosen for the purpose of illustrating my invention, thescope whereof is pointed out in the claims,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a coupler embodyin my invention, part ofthe coupler stem eing omitted.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the coupler shown in Fig. 1. I Fig. 3 is adetail perspective view of the lower or projecting end of the lockmember of the coupler, showing one form of latch member pivotallymounted thereon.

Fig. 4: is a front elevation of the coupler, turned upside-down, showingthe position member when operatmg to prevent the release of the couplerlock and knuckle.

Fig. 5 is a detail perspective View of a modified form of the projectingend of the lock and latch member pivotally mounted thereon.

Like symbols refer to like parts wherever they occur.

CAR-COUPLIN G-LOCKIN G MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

PatentedApr. 17, 1917.

In the drawings, 1 indicates a coupler head, which may be of the usualvertical plane or Master Car Builders type and pro vided with a pivotedknuckle 2 which is engaged by a locking device 3 that serves to restrainthe outward or uncoupling movement of the knuckle when in coupledrelation with a coacting coupler.

In the present instance the lock 3 is illustrated as a verticallymovable pin passing through suitable openings in the top and bottomwalls of the coupler head, and as having a clevis 4 for connecting itwith the usual or any desired form of release rigging.

Thelower end of the lock 3, as at 3?, is preferably of lesscross-sectional area than that portion of the lock member which ongagesthe tail-piece of the knuckle 2, projects somewhat below the bottom wallof the coupler-head 1 and carries a latch member 5 pivotally mountedthereon.

The latch member 5 is of such length on either side of its pivot thateither arm thereof will substantially correspond in length to thedistance which'the lock member 3 projects below the bottom wall of thecoupler head 1 when the lock is in its lowest or locked position. Thislatch 5, which is preferably in the form of a flanged bar or channel, asindicated in Fig. 1 of the drawings, is preferably connected to the 3.by a cotter pin 6 which passes through perforations in the flanges ofthe channel bar and through the lower end of the lock member exteriorlyof the coupler-head. The latch is so balanced with relation to thelocking member as to maintain a substantially horizontal position. It isthus nor 'mally so positioned beneath the bottom wall of the couplerhead as to permit the usual movements of the lock 3 to be effected bythe release rigging so long as the coupler-head maintains its normalposition.

If preferred, the latch member may be formed as a fiat bar 7 of suitablewidth and length, pivoted in an open slot 8 in the lower F lock memberwith the bottom wall or" the coupler head and will not obstruct theunlocking movement of the lock 3. The latch (5 or 7) will continue tomaintain its horizontal position until the coupler-head 1 has rotatedthrough an arc of ninety degrees or thereabout, whereupon one of theends of the latch, depending upon the direction of rotation of thecoupler, will engage the coupler head and the latch will thereafterrotate with the coupler. While the end of the latch thus remains inengagement with the coupler head an unlocking movement of the lock 3 ispre vented, will be very readily perceived upon reference to Fig. l ofthe drawings. Then the coupler-head has returned to its normal position,the latch member (5 or 7) will resume its normal or horizontal posi tionparallelwith and beneath the couplerhead.

I claim:

1. The combination with a coupler-head and a knuckle, of a lock memberwhich projects outside the coupler-head, and a latch device pivotallymounted on the projecting end of the lock member, the arms of saidpivoted latch member being each of a length substantially equal to thedistance of its pivotal point from the proximate wall of thecoupler-head.

2. The combination with .a coupler-head Copies of this patent may beobtained for and a knuckle, of a lock member which projects below thebottom wall of the coupler head, and a latch member pivotally mounted onthe projecting end of the lock member and spaced with relation to'thebottom wall of the coupler head when the lock member is in lockedposition.

3. The combination with a coupler-head, a knuckle, and a verticallymovable lock member which projects below the bottom Wall of the couplerhead, of a flanged latch member having a pivotal connection with thelock-member, the arms of said pivoted latch member on opposite sidesof'the pivot being substantially equal in length and substantially equalto the distance the said pivotal point is below the bottom wall of thecoupler head.

4;. The combination with a coupler-head, a knuckle, .and a lock member,of a latch device normally spaced from said head but adapted to engagethe same to prevent said lock member from moving to unlocked position,said latch device being movably connected to and normally projectingbeyond said lock member and being movable into engagement with thecoupler-head by the rotation of said head.

In testimony whereof I ailiX my signature.

WVILLIAM J. REGAN.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

